HMS P 38 (Lt. Rowland John Hemingway, DSC, RN) left Malta on 16 February 1942 to intercept a convoy off Tripoli. By the 23rd she was in position as the convoy hove into view. Amongst the convoy was the Italian torpedo boat Circe. At 0800 the Circe reported a contact with a submarine and that she turned in to attack. A periscope was sighted but was quickly replaced by bubbles as the submarine dived realising it had been spotted. At 1050 after a flurry of attacks P 38 rose stern first out of the water, her propellers turning wildly, before crashing back beneath the waves. A large patch of oil appeared on the surface as well as debris and human remains, clear evidence of the submarine’s destruction. P 38 was sunk some 90 nautical miles east of Tripoli, Libya in position 32º48'N, 14º58'E. There were no survivors.

Notable events involving P 38 include:

The history of HMS P 38 as compiled on this page is extracted from P 38's patrol reports and logbook (only December 1941 is available). Corrections and details regarding information from the enemy's side (for instance the composition of convoys attacked) is kindly provided by Mr. Platon Alexiades, a naval researcher from Canada.

7 Nov 1941HMS P 38 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, DSC, RN) departed Holy Loch for her 1st war patrol. She wss to patrol in the North Atlsntic to the south-west of Ireland for an anti-uboat patrol. During passage south through the Irish Sea she was escorted by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Dobson, RNR) until 2050/9.

As no log is available for this period and as the patrol report does not give daily positions no map can be displayed. (2)

20 Dec 1941HMS P 38 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, DSC, RN) departed Plymouth for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Cherbourg, France in case the German capital ships at Brest might make a run up the Channel towards Germany.

For the daily position of HMS P 38 during this patrol see the map below.

8 Feb 1942HMS P 38 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, DSC, RN) departed Malta for her 4th war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol off the Gulf of Hammamet. (6)

14 Feb 1942It was most likely HMS P 38 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, DSC, RN) that torpedoed and sank the Italian merchant Ariosto (4115 GRT, built 1902) off the coast of Tunisia. 138 Allied POW's out of 294 aboard are lost as well as 26 Italians out of 116 (crew and passengers) aboard.

Ariosto was in convoy together with the German merchant Atlas (2297 GRT, built 1927). They were escorted by the Italian destroyer Premuda and the Italian torpedo-boat Polluce.

16 Feb 1942HMS P 38 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, DSC, RN) is ordered to take up a patrol position to the east of Tripoli to form part of a patrol line of submarine to intercept an important southbound enemy convoy. (6)